Just a Student Looking to be Inspired.

THE WAITING ROOM Book Review.

How I had discovered this story is very direct. The author, Alysha Kaye had found my blog and suggested it to me. I was very thrilled by this, as this was my first contact with any kind of published author ever. So, I checked it out like any reader would and I am very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. After reading it, Alysha Kaye was also nice enough to allow me to interview her! Which can be found right here; Interview with Alysha Kaye.

Now for the actual review and why I think this story should be put on your “to read” list!

I’m not a romantic person. Romance stories and I do not play nice together. It’s never been a genre that I’ve been into. Though, romance writers I envy. I find it impossible to write a good, loveable couple, muchless base a whole book on this relationship between them. Saying this, I had my doubts and was really hoping it would be good enough to have my attention. And it did!

THE WAITING ROOM isn’t like most romance stories that you’ll find. Jude and Nina’s love for each other is a main part of the story but not entirely. They have bigger things to deal with, like the Waiting Room. Most stories don’t start off after the main character dies either.

The opening is good. It’s not boring or flat. Jude dies pretty soon and we’re introduced to the Waiting Room quickly. It’s like any other Waiting Room you’ve been in, like a doctor’s office.

It’s a unique look on life after death. Names are called and souls come and go. Some even have been there more than once. Most visitors leave after a few minutes but Jude is stuck there much longer. He spends his time watching Nina carry out her life and trying to get information out of Ruth who works in the Room. He comes off kind of childish at first while talking to Ruth and being driven to boredom convinced a few people that he was Satan. . .

Before his death Jude and Nina were happy and trying to have a baby together. After fifty-three years Nina died and they found each other again. During these years Jude became friends with some of the workers there in the room, like Joe.

Recarnation, religion, and racism are topics that the story addresses well. Nina has been many different types of people and races in her life so she gets to experience what it’s like to be in other people’s shoes. Jude on the other hand doesn’t change a whole lot.

That is one thing, the couple is Nina and Jude but throughout the book you will meet other couples with different names that are them too. Don’t expect a long chapter or more about Nina and Jude’s life before death, expect chapters and chapters of who they became after death. It’s really fascinating to keep up with the characters and what they are like and compare them all.

Ruth was a character that I really liked and was curious about. But she was very reclusive and we don’t learn a whole lot about her unfortunately. But I am very happy with one statement that is said towards the ending of the book about her. Be careful and catch it, it’ll make you smile.

Humor is evident. Jude and Nina both have a sense of humor. My favorite part of that was when a certain kind of restaruant could be named ‘Bananas’. There’s also a section in the story that is in poetry format that gives us something fresh for our eyes. There’s also a interesting quote that stood out from the others for me: “Everyone thinks they’ll have the answers after they die, but apparently you just get more questions,” (Kaye, THE WAITING ROOM, 4).

The book also reminds you that not everything is forever. Everything has a expiration date. But there is things you can do to make it last longer or find something new out of it. All in all, this was a great book and I look forward to seeing more from Alysha Kaye.